Police warn protesters as Coast leaders call for anti-IEBC demos today

The Coast region is today readying itself for its first round of protests against the besieged electoral commissioners.

This is despite police warnings yesterday that they would deal firmly with unlawful actions. The Constitution, however, allows for peaceful demonstrations and picketing.

The region has not witnessed demonstrations against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) despite it being an Opposition zone.

This lack of action forced CORD co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka to visit Mombasa over the weekend to trigger coalition supporters into action, as has been witnessed in Nairobi, Kisumu and Machakos.

On Saturday, Mr Kalonzo called on Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Senator Hassan Omar and other leaders to launch the protests.

On the same day, Mr Joho who has been overseas for about two weeks, announced his support for anti-IEBC protests.

• .

  Keep Reading

• 
  Civil servants face the axe as Ruto seeks to ease ballooning wage bill
• 
  Seek High Court's take on protests, lobby group told
• 
  Colonial law used to silence protests declared unconstitutional
• 
  KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atella injured during protests

Yesterday, Joho told the faithful at Siloam Church in Mtopanga that there would be peaceful demonstrations in Mombasa this morning, and urged police to provide security. He was accompanied by Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba.

NO DETAILS

“We are going to have a very peaceful demonstration so that we can present our petition to IEBC, and we urge all our supporters to be very peaceful. We are asking police to help us,” said Joho.

CORD leaders failed to provide details of today’s protests, although The Standard established that Ford Kenya, ODM and Wiper Democratic Movement leaders have been holding secret talks on who would co-ordinate the protests that will begin at Uhuru Gardens and end at the IEBC offices next to Mombasa’s State House.

“We are mobilising members of our respective parties to turn out in numbers for peaceful protests because we are determined to reform IEBC and ensure a fair electoral system,” said Zadock Mbeya, Ford Kenya’s Mombasa County chairman.

Mr Mbeya has been holding meetings with ODM’s Mombasa chairman, Mohamed Hatimy, and Wiper Democratic Movement’s Mombasa co-ordinator, Afia Rama.

“We are urging our members to turn up in large numbers to support our principals, and calls by civil society and the church for electoral reforms,” said Mbeya, who also urged police to provide security.

On Saturday, Joho said any election under the current IEBC was equivalent to a football match with a biased referee.

Joho said there must be dialogue by all political parties, civil society and other stakeholders adding that “CORD is not interested in imposing commissioners on IEBC”.

In Wundanyi, Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu said while he supports the removal of the IEBC commissioners, no protests were planned in his area.

In Kilifi, Governor Amason Kingi urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to initiate national dialogue for electoral reform as area County Commissioner Joseph Keter warned CORD leaders  against mobilising residents to participate in demonstrations.

“Intelligence reports have reached us that certain CORD leaders in Kilifi have planned a demonstration to push for the dissolution of IEBC, but that will not take place as security officers have been asked to deal with those who resort to such action,” said Mr Keter.

On Saturday, Mr Kingi told mourners at the burial of former Standard Group journalist Ngumbao Kithi that the demand for reforms at the electoral agency was universal and not restricted to CORD, and asked President Kenyatta to listen to the concerns.

“If the Law Society of Kenya, religious groups and non-governmental organisations have come out to support CORD in its move to press for the sending home of the current IEBC commissioners and reform the system, it means there is a problem, which the President must see,” said Mr Kingi.

Speaking in Mwatate yesterday, Mr Mruttu said he did not support the wholesale disbandment of the entire commission, including junior staff and the secretariat, arguing that most Kenyans were dissatisfied with the IEBC chairman.

“Only the top IEBC officials should quit while the other commissioners remain,” he said.